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"Pesach in Eretz Israel" By Hyman S.
Wolf
April 24, 1940—Hyman S. Wolf,
"Pesach in Eretz Israel," San Diego Jewish Press, page 2.
Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days and there shall no
leavened bread be seen, with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee,
in all thy borders. exodus, XIII 7. In the metropolis of Palestine, Tel
Aviv, the only 100 percent Jewish city in the world, you meet your long lost
friend from Warsaw, Moscow, Vilna, Kovno, Suvalk, Shaki, Rome, Florence, London,
Budapest, Wien, Shanghai, Tokyo, New York or Oshkosh. Some who are there just
visiting others that are settled there and became full fledged citizens of
Palestine, owning real estate, businesses or are farmers working on their land
or in their orchards, raising the finest oranges in the country, still others
who are tourist, who came to look around and celebrate Pesach in the homeland,
most of them are Americans. A month before Pesach, or right after the feast of
Purim, if you are in Tel Aviiv, you know and feel that the festival of Pesach is
nearing. It is in the air. Spring cleaning, or rather make everything Kosher for
Pesach use, as the dishes and all cooking utensils also the tableware have to be
cleansed, or replaced with new ones. First you read in the daily newspapers and
you see large display posters on the city owned billboards advertising in—Ivrith
of course—where you can buy Matzoth, Charoseth and Bitter Herbs. You can get
Matzoth from America, Lithuania, Poland, Jerusalem, Safed, Haifa or Tel aviv, as
a matter of fact of all nationalities, at reasonable prices, also all kinds of
Hagadoth, nearly in all the 70 living languages. In the house, you are always in
the way, whether you sit down, or stand up, the furniture is covered with sheets
of paper, or with cloth, the walls are whitewashed or painted, as great care is
taken in inspecting and cleaning every nook and corner that no leaven (chometz)
is overlooked, and found during the festival, it would be a great calamity in
the orthodox home. Poultry are brought in from Poland, Lithuania and
Rumania which are supplying most of the meat the year around consumed in
Palestine. The Yemenite Jews are the poorest, they are a curious type, they
look, act and speak Arabic, like the Arabs, they are the most wretched class.
They do the hard labor, and are employed in the sanitary and street cleaning
departments, they are also the porters (sabolim) carrying the heavy loads on
their heads and backs, on a sort of suspender, made out of ropes. Pesach is
their busy season, and a prosperous time, not only do they do the cleaning, but
they are also carrying the large Matzoh packages and all other merchandise, they
are the express delivery, the beasts of burden. It is no uncommon sight, to
watch a mountainous load carried tied with ropes, in front and back, and a pair
of feet staggering under a mountain of Matzoth and shouting in Arabic, you have
to make room for him, or you are shoved off of the sidewalk if you are not quick
enough. In the book stores, you find very large assortment of Hagadoth, with
ancient or modern illustrations. Ivrith of course, but you can also get imported
Hagadoth, translated in any language you understand best. But the children who
have to ask the "four questions," and steal the Afikomen, to them
Ivrith is their mother tongue. It is their land, they were born and raised in
Eretz Israel, nobody calls them Jew, they are proud of being Jews in their own
land, speaking the Hebrew language and displaying the white and blue flag with
the Star of David (Mogen David) in the middle. Wherever you go, to the Kvuzath,
Moshevath colonies or Town, you feel with the settlers, that you are a free man.
It is hard to describe to an American, how the Palestinian Jews, who came over
from the oppressed countries how they feel when they are free to breathe the
free air of Eretz Israel. Nobody throws stone at them; they don't have to get
off the sidewalk to make room for somebody approaching wearing a uniform, nobody
calls them Jews. To them when they celebrate the festival of Pesach in Eretz
Israwel is a real "Time of Our Freedom." (Z'man Chereitenu.) In
Palestine they observe Pesach seven days only as it is said in the Bible. At the
end of the Hagadah they say: "Next year in Jerusalem rebuilt--next year a
free people everywhere." Alewai.